diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/integration-nested.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/integration-nested.yml
index de771a4..ca37fe0 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/integration-nested.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/integration-nested.yml
@@ -9,16 +9,8 @@ jobs:
           LXC_IP_PREFIX=10.0.9 ./forgejo-dependencies.sh
           export PATH=$(pwd):$PATH
           forgejo.sh setup root admin1234 codeberg.org/forgejo/forgejo 1.20
-          #
-          # Uncomment the following for a shortcut to debugging the Forgejo runner.
-          # It will build the runner from a designated repository and branch instead of
-          # downloading it from a canonical release.
-          #
-          # ./forgejo-test-helper.sh build_runner http://code.forgejo.org/forgejo/runner branch-under-debug
-          # export PATH=$(pwd)/forgejo-runner:$PATH
-          #
-          ./forgejo-runner.sh setup
+          forgejo-runner.sh setup
           export FORGEJO_RUNNER_LOGS=forgejo-runner.log
           echo "============================ sanity-check ==================="
-          ./forgejo-test-helper.sh push_self_action http://root:admin1234@$(cat forgejo-ip):3000 root setup-forgejo vTest
-          ./forgejo-test-helper.sh run_workflow testdata/sanity-checks http://root:admin1234@$(cat forgejo-ip):3000 root sanity-check setup-forgejo $(cat forgejo-token)          
+          forgejo-test-helper.sh push_self_action http://root:admin1234@$(cat forgejo-ip):3000 root setup-forgejo vTest
+          forgejo-test-helper.sh run_workflow testdata/sanity-checks http://root:admin1234@$(cat forgejo-ip):3000 root sanity-check setup-forgejo $(cat forgejo-token)          
diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/integration.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/integration.yml
index 33013f5..360abe6 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/integration.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/integration.yml
@@ -21,14 +21,6 @@ jobs:
           LXC_IP_PREFIX=10.0.10 ./forgejo-dependencies.sh
           export PATH=$(pwd):$PATH
           forgejo.sh setup root admin1234 ${{ matrix.info.image }} ${{ matrix.info.version }}
-          #
-          # Uncomment the following for a shortcut to debugging the Forgejo runner.
-          # It will build the runner from a designated repository and branch instead of
-          # downloading it from a canonical release.
-          #
-          #./forgejo-test-helper.sh build_runner http://code.forgejo.org/earl-warren/runner wip-sync
-          #export PATH=$(pwd)/forgejo-runner:$PATH
-          #
           forgejo-runner.sh setup
           export FORGEJO_RUNNER_LOGS=forgejo-runner.log
           url=http://root:admin1234@$(cat forgejo-ip):3000
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fc87acf..307be22 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -21,11 +21,6 @@ The forgejo-test-helper.sh script is available to help test and debug actions.
 * `forgejo-test-helper.sh push testrepo $forgejo root testrepo`
   Creates the repository `$forgejo/root/testrepo` and populates it with the
   content of the `testrepo` directory.
-* `forgejo-test-helper.sh build_runner $forgejo/forgejo/runner v3.0.1`
-  Builds the forgejo runner from source in `./forgejo-runner/forgejo-runner`.
-  `export PATH=$(pwd)/forgejo-runner:$PATH` will ensure that calling `forgejo-runner.sh`
-  will use this binary instead of downloading a released version of the runner.
-  If the version is not specified, build from the main branch.
 
 The combination of `push_self_action` and `run_workflow` allows to
 run Forgejo Actions workflows from `testrepo` that use the action
diff --git a/RUNNER_REPOSITORY b/RUNNER_REPOSITORY
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b12db6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/RUNNER_REPOSITORY
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+https://code.forgejo.org/forgejo/runner
diff --git a/RUNNER_VERSION b/RUNNER_VERSION
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b105cea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/RUNNER_VERSION
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+v3.0.1
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index a9bc3f4..7e2ef51 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -20,11 +20,6 @@ description: |
   * `forgejo-test-helper.sh push testrepo $forgejo root testrepo`
     Creates the repository `$forgejo/root/testrepo` and populates it with the
     content of the `testrepo` directory.
-  * `forgejo-test-helper.sh build_runner $forgejo/forgejo/runner v3.0.1`
-    Builds the forgejo runner from source in `./forgejo-runner/forgejo-runner`.
-    `export PATH=$(pwd)/forgejo-runner:$PATH` will ensure that calling `forgejo-runner.sh`
-    will use this binary instead of downloading a released version of the runner.
-    If the version is not specified, build from the main branch.
 
   The combination of `push_self_action` and `run_workflow` allows to
   run Forgejo Actions workflows from `testrepo` that use the action
@@ -47,10 +42,10 @@ inputs:
     description: 'Administrator password'
     default: 'admin1234'
   runner:
-    description: 'Runner git repository'
+    description: 'Runner repository'
     default: 'https://code.forgejo.org/forgejo/runner'
   runner-version:
-    description: 'Runner version'
+    description: 'Runner version. If it starts with @ (for instance @featurebranch), the runner will be built from source using the specified branch.'
     default: 'v3.0.1'
   container:
     description: 'Name of the container running the Forgejo instance'
diff --git a/forgejo-runner-lib.sh b/forgejo-runner-lib.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ccdd83d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/forgejo-runner-lib.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+set -ex
+
+export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+
+function dependency_go() {
+    go_version="1.21.3.linux-amd64"  # Set the desired Go version here
+
+    if ! which wget tar > /dev/null ; then
+	apt-get install -y -qq wget tar
+    fi
+
+    if ! which go > /dev/null ; then
+        wget --quiet "https://go.dev/dl/go$go_version.tar.gz"
+        tar zxf "go$go_version.tar.gz"
+        export PATH="$(pwd)/go/bin:$PATH"
+    fi
+}
+
+function checkout() {
+    local git="$1"
+    git clone --depth 1 $git forgejo-runner
+}
+
+function build_runner() {
+    local git="$1"
+    local version="${2:-main}"
+    local dir=$(mktemp -d)
+    (
+	cd $dir
+	checkout "$git"
+	dependency_go
+	cd forgejo-runner
+	git checkout "$version"
+	make build
+    )
+    mv $dir/forgejo-runner/forgejo-runner .
+    ./forgejo-runner --version
+    rm -fr "$dir"
+}
diff --git a/forgejo-runner.sh b/forgejo-runner.sh
index 21166bf..e2fb54e 100755
--- a/forgejo-runner.sh
+++ b/forgejo-runner.sh
@@ -3,12 +3,15 @@
 
 set -ex
 
+PS4='${BASH_SOURCE[0]}:$LINENO: ${FUNCNAME[0]}:  '
 SELF_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
+source $SELF_DIR/forgejo-runner-lib.sh
+
 : ${FORGEJO_RUNNER_CONFIG:=$SELF_DIR/runner-config.yaml}
 
 function dependencies() {
-    if ! which curl daemon > /dev/null ; then
-	apt-get install -y -qq curl daemon
+    if ! which make curl daemon > /dev/null ; then
+	apt-get install -y -qq make curl daemon
     fi
 }
 
@@ -49,12 +52,19 @@ function reload() {
 }
 
 function setup() {
-    local runner_repository="${1:-https://code.forgejo.org/forgejo/runner}"
-    local version="${2:-v3.0.1}"
+    local default_runner_repository="$(cat $SELF_DIR/RUNNER_REPOSITORY)"
+    local runner_repository="${1:-${default_runner_repository}}"
+    local default_version="$(cat $SELF_DIR/RUNNER_VERSION)"
+    local version="${2:-${default_version}}"
     local forgejo="${3:-http://$(cat forgejo-ip):3000/}"
 
     dependencies
-    download $runner_repository $version
+    if [[ "$version" =~ ^@ ]] ; then
+	local branch=${version##@}
+	build_runner $runner_repository $branch
+    else
+	download $runner_repository $version
+    fi
     register $forgejo
     run
 }
diff --git a/forgejo-test-helper.sh b/forgejo-test-helper.sh
index ccc4a62..7283edf 100755
--- a/forgejo-test-helper.sh
+++ b/forgejo-test-helper.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 
 set -ex
 
-export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+SELF_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
+source $SELF_DIR/forgejo-runner-lib.sh
 
 : ${LOOPS:=80}
 : ${LOOP_DELAY:=5}
@@ -11,39 +12,6 @@ DIR=$(mktemp -d)
 
 trap "rm -fr $DIR" EXIT
 
-function dependency_go() {
-    go_version="1.21.1.linux-amd64"  # Set the desired Go version here
-
-    if ! which go > /dev/null ; then
-        apt-get update
-        apt-get install -y -qq wget tar
-        wget --quiet "https://go.dev/dl/go$go_version.tar.gz"
-        tar zxf "go$go_version.tar.gz"
-        export PATH="$(pwd)/go/bin:$PATH"
-    fi
-}
-
-function checkout() {
-    local git="$1"
-    rm -fr forgejo-runner
-    git clone $git forgejo-runner
-}
-
-function build_runner() {
-    local git="$1"
-    local version="${2:-main}"
-
-    (
-	checkout "$git"
-	dependency_go
-	cd forgejo-runner
-	git checkout "$version"
-	make build
-    )
-    export PATH=$PATH:$(pwd)/forgejo-runner
-    forgejo-runner --version
-}
-
 function branch_tip() {
     local url="$1"
     local repo="$2"
diff --git a/utils/upgrade-runner.sh b/utils/upgrade-runner.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..ef25c0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/upgrade-runner.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+set -e
+
+ROOT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )/.." && pwd )"
+
+REPOSITORY="$1"
+VERSION="$2"
+
+echo $VERSION > $ROOT_DIR/RUNNER_VERSION
+sed -i -e 's^| runner-version | Runner version |.*^| runner-version | Runner version | `false` | '$VERSION' |^' $ROOT_DIR/README.md
+sed -i -e "/runner-version:/{n;n;s^.*default:.*^    default: '$VERSION'^}" $ROOT_DIR/action.yml
+
+echo $REPOSITORY > $ROOT_DIR/RUNNER_REPOSITORY
+sed -i -e 's^| runner | Runner git repository |.*^| runner | Runner git repository | `false` | '$REPOSITORY' |^' $ROOT_DIR/README.md
+sed -i -e "/runner:/{n;n;s^.*default:.*^    default: '$REPOSITORY'^}" $ROOT_DIR/action.yml